125 replies to this topic

[JayVee]

Do I need one with variable temperature control? What brand(s) do you guys use?

[crispy]

John, I use an American Harvest by Nesco with variable temp settings. I usually keep my models at about 105.
I think it sells for under $40 and you can buy extra shelfs for it.
Easily found at Wal-Mart.



Hope this helps.
Chris

[Zoom Zoom]

Though I've been using a dehydrator since the early 90's, I can't really recommend any of the ones that I see on the market now, I don't have experience w/them. If it does have a temp. control, that may help.

My dehydrator is very simple, like a Ronco unit, but it's a cheap knockoff that I got at Big Lots for $12. One simple coil at the bottom, rotating vents on the base and lid provide some temperature control. Interior gets up to about 110 degrees. I cut out the bottom part of several trays, to make them into spacers. You can do this with any of the units.

A friend has one that the fan motor is in either the base or the lid, and it's good, but it's a pain to use-the lid is heavy if it's got the fan in it. It does have a temperature control.

There's a unit w/a fan and a motor that rotates the trays. It works okay, but has hot spots and the trays are very shallow. It's best to just keep the lid off it, and set the bodies/parts on the top tray and turn off the rotation. I think they got it at Bass Pro Shops for about $20 or so.

[Eric C]

There's a unit w/a fan and a motor that rotates the trays. It works okay, but has hot spots and the trays are very shallow. It's best to just keep the lid off it, and set the bodies/parts on the top tray and turn off the rotation. I think they got it at Bass Pro Shops for about $20 or so.

Hmmm, I think I know where he got that one. It's great for heating up the paint cans before painting.

I personally don't use a dehydrator. I've never had a good experience with one. I know the problem is me though because Bob and the rest of our gang use them with great success.

[Zoom Zoom]

John, I use an American Harvest by Nesco with variable temp settings.

That's the other one I've used @ a friend's house (we had a veritable dehydrator farm going full-tilt when we had our 24 hour LeMans group build), the heavy lid is difficult to deal with when you've got one hand holding the model and the other trying to monkey w/the heavy lid/cord while not dropping the body. But it works just fine! They're all good at warming paint cans and bodies prior to painting. I also have a small handheld hairdryer at my spray desk/booth, for a quick "blow dry" to help speed-dry flat paints and primer between coats.

[JayVee]

Thanks for the info on these dehydrators. Seems like a good investment, since I sometimes want to get things done in a shorter span of time.

[Zoom Zoom]

Thanks for the info on these dehydrators. Seems like a good investment, since I sometimes want to get things done in a shorter span of time.

I cannot fathom living w/o a dehydrator. I would be lost without it! You will definitely benefit from it.

[MrObsessive]

I vote also for the Nesco! I tried the other dehyhdrators without the temp control...........I had a disastrous result not long ago when the body became warped! :shock: So I went and spent the 45 bucks or so for the Nesco.

It was well worth it!

You can figure it can get 105º in your house and nothing will happen to the models...............so that's where I also set the temp in my dehydrator.

Figure about 4 hours or so for acrylic enamels and lacquers.......about 8 hours for water based acrylics and like clears (Tamiya in particular).

[LOBBS]

I put my vote in on the Nesco as I've had one for several years now. I'm pretty sure I got it on sale at Wal-Mart for around $30 a couple of years ago. I've never seen the extra trays but I'd love to have a set or two.

[simonr]

For those who would like to have extra trays, here's a lik where you can get them and NESCO dehydrator as well.

http://www.nesco.com...0...t=100&id=42

Since I'm a dehydrator paint drier freak, I highly recommend the use of this device. There are a lot of uses that you can apply with it. In 2001, Model Cars Mag did a report on it's use. Since I've seen the good comments on the nesco and I saw that one when the magazine report was done but I didn't knew the maker of it, I decied to buy one. Another real strong reason is that from the heavy use that I exposed it, I have to buy a new one, because the one I have it's already history!


Simon

[simonr]

The one that I have, is made by Mr Coffee. There 2 advantages from this one to the Nesco's. One is it's see-through plastic design that ables you to see what has been dried up,...a must!, believe me,....you don't want to take off the lid, a get the surprise of see a model warped up after some hours of heat. 

http://search.ebay.c...ntrypage=search

Simon

[MikeMc]

Just got a ronco dehydrator..convection type

A couple of questions:

1. what should I hold the freshly painted body on? I've read that a tensioned metal stand could cause warpage

2. As it does not have a thermostat (I don't have a thermometer) how should I vent the top to keep temp between 100 and 110?

I primarily shoot lacquers and some future through the airbrush.

Any tips would be great..thanx in advance

Mike

[Zoom Zoom]

If you can borrow a thermometer that goes to the right temperature you should see what it gets up to with the vents fully open top and bottom. You may need to have more ventilation if the temp goes higher than 110 degrees. My dehydrator is a Ronco knockoff that doesn't go over 110 and I've only had problems w/a couple of resin bodies that were not mounted properly and the tension caused warp. If you can't get a thermometer, you better practice w/some scrap bodies first to make sure they don't warp. Drill more holes if necessary to open it up a bit. Try looking for a thermometer at the hardware store, you may find one that reads higher than room temperature but lower than most ovens.

I use spray can caps to hold bodies, narrow Testors or Tamiya caps, and taped together 2-tall, sometimes a pair if the body is longer, so the body doesn't touch the rack. Smaller parts on toothpicks I'll put in a piece of styrofoam or in an upturned cap.

Edited by Zoom Zoom, 02 October 2007 - 07:29 AM.

[bobss396]

I have a Magic Chef from Walmart that has been heavily modified. I use just one tray and made a new surround for it out of chimney flashing. I wired in a house dimmer for temperature control. It will go to 135 F unless I throttle it down. The top has a vent, I usually turn it on with the vent closed, wait 10 minutes and open it up. I have a permanently mounted thermometer that stays with the lid, it goes through the edge of the lid horizontally so I can see it across the room. This one goes to 200 F, check candy making supply shops. US General makes one too.

I have a few stands that I use in it. Since the new surround is 10" high, I get lots of things in it. I like to use old plastic soda bottles with some water in them. I tape a disposable plastic cup upside down over the bottle and the car bodies stay on with little tension. I hold small parts on toothpicks, alligator clamps, etc. I hold those in tweezers, the handles fit into the bottom grate nicely.

I'll post a link to some pix I have of mine when I get home later tonight.

Bob

[cruz]

I have one from I believe American Harvest with different temperature settings, I just set it for 105 and that's good enough, leave it in there for at least 24 hours and have never had a problem no matter what paints I have used. Just make sure that if you put your painted bodies on any type of holder that you take the holder off, like that you don't have to worry about any warpage issues............

[bobss396]

I have one from I believe American Harvest with different temperature settings, I just set it for 105 and that's good enough, leave it in there for at least 24 hours and have never had a problem no matter what paints I have used. Just make sure that if you put your painted bodies on any type of holder that you take the holder off, like that you don't have to worry about any warpage issues............

24 hours is a long time in a dehydrator, even 10 should do it for enamels. But if it works for you, keep it up. I usually don't run mine more than 6 or 8 hours at a clip. Sometimes I'll shut it off before I go to bed, not that I don't trust my wiring modifications!

Bob

[flatheadgary]

hey bobss396, doesn't the water in the soda bottles cause a humidity problem with the freash paint. or am i not understanding how it's done. it must work or you wouldn't be doing it. unless your just trying to set us up to make us mess up our models. say it isn't so bob!!

[bobss396]

hey bobss396, doesn't the water in the soda bottles cause a humidity problem with the freash paint. or am i not understanding how it's done. it must work or you wouldn't be doing it. unless your just trying to set us up to make us mess up our models. say it isn't so bob!!

I'm the last guy that wants someone to mess up a paint job or model. The bottles have the caps on them, the water keeps them from falling over in the dehydrator. I fill them up less than 1/2 way and it works well. My dehydrator is 10" deep so small plastic water or soda bottles are the ticket for me.

Bob

[crispy]

As far as holding bodies in the dehydrator, I use the Tamiya body paint stand. I bought extra rings for the dehydrator and stack them up until I know the body will clear the top of the dehydrator.
 

[Zoom Zoom]

This morning at about 1:40am I painted (another) IROC Porsche in Panther Pink enamel (decanted). Airbrushed a number of coats, got color up, one last wet coat straight from the can. Done by the start of the F1 race @ 2 am. Into the dehydrator.

Took it out of the dehydrator at 10am, wetsanded w/3600, polished w/ a bit of Tamiya mixed w/Novus #2, followed by just Novus, painted black window trim, done by noon, ready to hand off to the other builders.

What's all this nonsense about waiting days/weeks/months for paint to dry